The Fitzed Guard and Your Trigger Finger

2021 Fitz trigger guard Theory confirmed.pdf

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It was I who first worked out from Elmer Keith's writings, that 'Fitzing' a pistol came largely from Fitz's need to keep control of his pistols in his demonstrations: Fitz's self-defense shows included breaking his opponent's trigger finger inside the opponent's own trigger guard! He pulled the gunman's pistol forward against his belly then rolled it to one side to break the finger. Disarmed! But not against Fitz, who had removed his guard . . ..

Indeed his Wiki entry didn't even include his birth or death dates until I ferreted them out, with the help of a chap named Fitzgerald on Ancestry (our man was what this man called a 'big G' Fitz Gerald, two words; while my chap is a 'small G' Fitzgerald, one word).

Still misunderstood in Bill Jordan's day, who narrowed the guard at its front hoop; as did Paris Theodore with his chopped M39s called Asps. Ed McGivern tested all manner of 'mutilated' trigger guards and declared the draw to be SLOWER for fast shooting from the holster than with the standard guards. Below the ASP and its narrowed guard:

Reviewing the first of the Jack Reacher films the other day, I saw there a demonstration of a 1911 being taken away from an armed felon by using his finger inside the guard against him. The object isn't leverage, according to Elmer: it is to BREAK the trigger finger inside the guard (to cause great pain) then use the pistol against the attacker:

To read more about it all in my book titled "Holstory -- Gunleather of the Twentieth Century

-- the Second Edition", click on the new link at top of page.